Spoiler deployment FS9

Recommended Posts

Have noticed that upon touchdown the spoilers will not deploy. Have set them up thru flight sim and FSUIPC, and nothing seems to help. Have searched thru my assignments to see if there are any conflicts regarding the spoilers but have found none. Hoping another FS9 user may have some insight.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Does FS9 have an advanced animations menu item. In FSX, if this is deselected, then many wing movements are disabled

No it doesn't have that setting.

What I suggest to the OP is to un-assign any spoiler controls, and do a test landing to see if that makes a difference. Also make sure the throttles are at idle using F1 key ( in case your throttle calibration is a bit off).

The spoilers should also not deploy if you are landing with less than 31 degree flap, but not sure if this is modelled in the sim.

I have never had a problem with the spoilers not deploying.

ps. are you using reverse thrust, and also are you looking outside the aircraft just after touchdown to confirm spoiler deployment.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

What I suggest to the OP is to un-assign any spoiler controls, and do a test landing to see if that makes a difference. Also make sure the throttles are at idle using F1 key ( in case your throttle calibration is a bit off).

Have done as suggested, and I find that I get very spotty spoiler deployment when the spoilers are mapped thru FS9. There is no deployment when they are mapped thru FSUIPC.

ps. are you using reverse thrust, and also are you looking outside the aircraft just after touchdown to confirm spoiler deployment.

Yes, I use reverse thrust and I check the exterior view to see if the spoilers are up. Have had this issue as long as I have had this aircraft (which is a long time). May well be some glitch or conflict in my setup that I have yet to find.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Have done as suggested, and I find that I get very spotty spoiler deployment when the spoilers are mapped thru FS9. There is no deployment when they are mapped thru FSUIPC.

I am suggesting you "map" the spoilers nowhere at all and use the mouse to arm them before doing a few test landings. This is the only way to establish if you have a problem with your MD11 itself or if it is a problem with assignment/calibration.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Ok I have delved into my settings for how I have set my spoiler axis in FSUIPC for one of the levers on my CH throttle quad.

1. Make sure that the spoiler command is not assigned to any axis in the FS9 control assignments. (If like me you use the "disable joystick" setting in FS9 you needn't bother with this step)

2. In FSUIPC AXIS ASSIGNMENT tab move the lever you want to assign and keep pressing the RESCAN button until you see the numbers change when you move the axis. On the left of the tab select "send direct to FSUIPC calibration" and select "spoilers from the drop down box.

3. Now go to calibration tab. Press the reset button and tick the "rev" box. On my setup the lever fully up (spoilers stowed) is about -14,336, and fully down (spoilers fully deployed) is about +16,384. Yours may be different. I have set the spoilers to start deploying when the lever signals -9,700 (LEFT Set button), and be fully deployed when lever is fully down at +16,384 (RIGHT Set button). DO NOT TOUCH the centre set button ! It should be -512 or similar in both boxes.

Now I reckon if you try this setup you will find that the auto spoiler will deploy on landing when armed with right mouse click. I think your problem was due to setting a null zone with the centre Set buttons.

If you want to be really clever you can also do the following:

4. Use the FSUIPC mouse macro function to create two macros for the MD11. One for arming the spoiler, and one for disarming.

5. Go to the assignments tab in FSUIPC and wiggle the spoiler axis until it is "live". Then on the right hand of the tab click the "from" box when it reads approx 13,000, and the "to" box when it reads the maximum lever up position (spoilers stowed)....on mine it is 14,336. Tick both the up/down boxes on the right, then below tick the box next to "control sent when range entered" and from the drop down menu select the Macro you made for SPOILER ARM (in step 4). Now go to the box below called "control sent when range exited" and select the macro you created for disarm spoiler. DO NOT tick the box "control to repeat when in range"

That is it you are done. You will be able to arm/disarm and apply spoilers with one axis.

I presume you use FSUIPC profiles or "aircraft specific" tick box ?

Good luck

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Followed your guide for mapping the spoilers thru FSUIPC. Very similar to what I had done but I found that my spoilers now deploy as they should every time. Not sure what I was missing but thanks for your time and help. Unfortunately an old problem has resurfaced again just recently. The aircraft captures the LOC just as it should, however when the glide slope comes alive, the aircraft climbs like a rocket to capture it. If I quickly engage altitude hold as soon as the climbing begins and then re-engage the approach-land system everything works as it should. I know this is not how things should work. I read thru the many posts here regarding this problem, however there does not seem to be a fix for it that I could find. Would really like to get to the bottom of this issue. I would like to add, this only happens after LOC capture BEFORE the GS is alive. If you get a LOC capture and the GS is alive then, the plane does not climb to meet the GS.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Never seen your second issue. You say that if you quickly engage alt hold it works ok. My question is then....what vertical mode are you in just before LOC capture? You should be in Alt hold with the altitude window on the glareshield showing your current altitude.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

That's just it, I am in alt hold and the aircraft is in level flight. As soon as the GS comes alive alt hold disengages and the aircraft climbs to meet it. As I said above, quite a few others have experienced this but I have not been able to find where anyone has a solution....yet.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

That's just it, I am in alt hold and the aircraft is in level flight. As soon as the GS comes alive alt hold disengages and the aircraft climbs to meet it. As I said above, quite a few others have experienced this but I have not been able to find where anyone has a solution....yet.

How odd. I have never experienced that myself. Cannot help there i am afraid.

AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

Donation Goals

AVSIM's 2018 Fundraising Goal

Donate to our annual general fund. This donation keeps our doors open and providing you service 24 x 7 x 365. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. We reset this goal every new year for the following year's goal.